“I do not think we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia,” Deal said Monday. “Georgia is a welcoming state.” With the veto coming weeks before the May 3 deadline, Deal added that House Bill 757 “doesn’t reflect the character of our state or the character of its people.” (Read the full transcript of his speech below.)

Announcing his veto, Deal also noted the outcry against the bill and the economic implications it could have had for the Peach State. “Some within the business community who oppose this bill have resorted to threats of withdrawing jobs from our state.” he said Monday morning. “I do not respond well to insults or threats. The people of Georgia deserve a leader who will made sound judgments based on solid reasons that are not inflamed by emotion.”

Disney, one of the first companies to say it would pull its existing business out of the state if HB 757 was signed into law, praised Deal’s decision today.

“We applaud Governor Deal for making the right decision on this piece of legislation and look forward to continuing our film production in Georgia,” a Disney spokesperson said.

While not naming names, the two-term Republican governor noted that Georgia legislators had come up against not simply Hollywood, the NFL, Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and others but also the Founding Fathers. “Their efforts to purge this bill of any possibility that it would allow or encourage discrimination illustrates how difficult it is to legislate something that is best left to the broad protections of the First Amendment.”

Said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the group behind the effort to pressure for the veto. “Our message to Governor Nathan Deal was loud and clear: This deplorable legislation was bad for his constituents, bad for business, and bad for Georgia’s future. Today, Governor Deal heard the voices of Georgians, civil rights organizations, as well as the many leaders in the entertainment industry and private sector who condemned this attack on the fundamental rights of LGBT people, and he has set an example for other elected officials to follow. Discrimination and intolerance have no place in the United States of America, and we hope North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly are paying close attention to what has transpired in Georgia.”

Passed in mid-March, HB 757 would have permitted “that religious officials shall not be required to perform marriage ceremonies in violation of their legal right to free exercise of religion” and allow faith-based organizations to not hire or provide services to those who “violate such faith-based organization’s sincerely held religious belief.”

Disney last week came out strongly against the bill and asserted that it would “take our business elsewhere should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law.” The House of Mouse was soon followed by the likes of Time Warner, Netflix, CBS, Fox, Sony Pictures, Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners, NBCUniversal, Discovery, Open Road Films, The Weinstein Company, Lionsgate, MGM, AMC — whose blockbuster TV series The Walking Dead is made in Georgia — and Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios.

Their voices obviously were heard.

Here’s is a transcript of Deal’s speech this morning:

The decision surrounding HB 757 has generated more intense feelings that most legislation, perhaps because it has highlighted the concerns of many in our religious communities regarding the actions of federal courts, especially the United States Supreme Court in its 5-4 opinion last summer which legalized same sex marriage. (Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ____(2015)).

HB 757 enumerates certain actions that religious leaders, faith-based organizations and people of faith shall not be required to take or perform. These include solemnizing a marriage, attending such marriages, hiring church personnel or renting church property when such acts would be contrary to their sincerely held religious beliefs. While most people would agree that government should not force such actions, there has not been a single instance of such taking place in Georgia. If there has been any case of this type in our state it has not been called to my attention. The examples being cited by the proponents of this bill have occurred in other states that have very different laws than Georgia.

One example that is used is the photographer in New Mexico who refused to photograph a same sex marriage (Elane Photography, LLC v. Willock, 309 P. 3d53 (2013)). That state has a Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but it was not applicable. It was the New Mexico Human Rights Act that determined the results in that case. Georgia does not have a Human Rights Act.

The second case that is cited is that of the bakery in Colorado that refused to bake a wedding cake for a same sex couple. There the court ruling was based on Colorado’s Public Accommodation Act which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation (Craig v. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Inc. ____ P 3d_(2015)). Georgia does not have a Public Accommodation Act.

Therefore, as I have examined the protections this bill seeks to provide to religious organizations and people of faith I can find no examples that any of the things this bill seeks to protect us against have ever occurred in Georgia. It is also apparent that the cases being cited from other states occurred because those state had passed statues that specifically protected their citizens from adverse actions based on their sexual orientation. Georgia has no such statues.

HB 757 appeared in several forms during the recent session of the Georgia General Assembly. I had no objection to the “Pastor Protection Act” that was passed by the House of Representatives. The other versions of the bill, however, contained language that could give rise to state-sanctioned discrimination. I did have problems with that and made my concerns known as did many other individuals and organizations, including some within the faith based community.

I appreciate the efforts of the General Assembly to address these concerns and my actions today in no way disparage their motivations on those who support this bill, Their efforts to purge this bill of any possibility that it will allow or encourage discrimination illustrates how difficult it is to legislate on something that is best left to the broad protections of the First Amendment of the United State Constitution. That may be why our Founding Fathers did not attempt to list in detail the circumstances that religious liberty embraced. Instead, they adopted what the late Supreme Court Justice Scalia referred to as “negative protection.” That is, rather than telling government what it can do regarding religion, they told government what it could not do, namely, “establish a religion or interfere with the free exercise thereof.” They had previously proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence that Man’s Creator had endowed all men “with certain unalienable rights,” including “Liberty” which embraces religious liberty. They made it clear that those liberties were given by God and not by man’s government. Therefore, it was unnecessary to enumerate in statue or constitution what those liberties included.

In light of our history, I find it ironic that today some in the religious community feel it necessary to ask government to confer upon them certain rights and protections. If indeed our religious liberty is conferred by God and not by man-made government, we should need the “hands-off” admonition of the First Amendment to our Constitution. When legislative bodies attempt to do otherwise, the inclusions and omissions in their statues can lead to discrimination, even though it may be unintentional. That is too great a risk to take.

Some of those in the religious community who support this bill have resorted to insults that question my moral convictions and my character. Some within the business community who oppose this bill have resorted to threats of withdrawing jobs from our state. I do not respond well to insults or threats. The people of Georgia deserve a leader who will made sound judgments based on solid reasons that are not inflamed by emotion. That is what I intend to do.

As I’ve said before, I do not think we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia of which my family and I are a part of for all of our lives. Our actions on HB 757 are not just about protecting the faith-based community or providing a business-friendly climate for job growth in Georgia. This is about the character of our State and the character of its people. Georgia is a welcoming state filled with warm, friendly and loving people. Our cities and countryside are populated with people who worship God in a myriad of ways and in very diverse settings. Our people work side-by-side without regard to the color of our skin, or the religion we adhere to. We are working to make life better for our families and our communities. That is the character of Georgia. I intend to do my part to keep it that way.

74 Comments

North Carolina needs to be next. ABC/Disney needs to pull the “Dirty Dancing” remake out of NC.

SS • on Mar 28, 2016 8:20 am

No, Disney needs to pull the plug all together on it. There’s no need for the reboot.

Gary • on Mar 28, 2016 3:19 pm

Do you really think Disney entered this debate to defend gay rights? They entered this debate so they could continue to have a place to pay workers less than a living wage to make their movies.

Jim • on Mar 28, 2016 6:57 pm

Nonsense. Movies are shot in Georgia due to tax incentives offered by the state, not because the workers there are paid like Bangladeshi sweatshop workers. Disney could easily have moved production to other states with incentives. This was about doing what was right and what won’t be an embarrassment to the company in the history books.

Upright • on Mar 28, 2016 7:11 pm

This was just a press grab for Disney. If it really cared about human rights, it wouldn’t be building a theme park in China.

Anonymous • on Mar 28, 2016 9:26 pm

You keep saying this Gary and people keep pointing out that it’s for tax reasons, not wage reasons.

God • on Mar 28, 2016 7:55 am

This fucking asshole. 10 days ago this was a “tough decision,” then suddenly when his state is looking at economic devastation, he realizes the founding fathers would have wanted him to veto.

Yes, how dare he veto a bill that would probably be used mostly by jackasses for discrimination.

Upright • on Mar 28, 2016 11:44 am

“Discrimination” in this case meaning “actually having standards for human behavior”. Shocking!

Duh • on Mar 28, 2016 12:15 pm

I have standards for human behavior. They include not hiring people who blatantly align themselves with religions that have murdered millions of people around the globe in the name of their god–but damnit, now I won’t be able to discriminate you in Georgia. So unfair!

Bernstein Bear • on Mar 28, 2016 10:50 am

Yeah, what a jackass! Prioritizing the economic future of his state above the overblown qualms of the far religious right. How dare he? /s

No true Christian hates... • on Mar 28, 2016 8:16 am

I’m so disgusted by my Christian brothers and sisters. Hate is a cancer that needs to be defeated. Inclusion, tolerance, love, understanding, kindness, and compassion was/is the message from Jesus. Our ‘faith’ can never be used as a weapon of arrogance and hate…. I’m humbled to be a woman of faith, and also saddened to see that there are so many Christians who don’t understand the blessings given to us by our Lords sacrifice.

Love is the light of peace. Hate is our darkness.

I’m a lesbian, and God has embraced my life with love & kindness. God is a loving God — only people can distort ‘the message” of peace.

Upright • on Mar 28, 2016 11:54 am

Uh huh. I’d stay away from the writings of St. Paul if I were you.

Amazing how some folks are trying to rewrite the Bible to suit themselves, along with the laws of nature.

Michael H. • on Mar 28, 2016 2:09 pm

– Upright

“The laws of nature”? Who, may I ask, made you Lord and God of heaven and earth. I don’t see the young lady above trying to “re-write” anything. She appears to be a level headed, caring person. Who she loves is none of our concern.

In this crazy ass world, we need to support anyone who knows how to love another person with their heart & soul. You don’t need to throw a woman under the bus, and quote Bible verses to her, because of YOUR interpretation of scripture. She seems like a loving person who believes in her Christian faith. Not every Christian is a copy of each other.

I wish that my wife was a lesbian Christian. Haha

Lighthope • on Mar 28, 2016 2:10 pm

Or the writings of Leviticus.

“Christian…only for the parts I like,” seems to be today’s motto.

Another proud, gay Christian • on Mar 28, 2016 7:13 pm

@Upright + Lighthope

Yeah, cause heterosexual Christians follow every word of The Bible. Thanks for the laugh, I needed it after reading that ISIS crucified a Catholic Priest on Good Friday. Jeez folks, let’s get our priorities correct here – can we just love each other and stop judging.

The day that heterosexuals follow every word in The Bible is the day that they can tell anyone in the LGBT community that they are not ‘Godly’ enough to be loved by Christ. Heterosexual arrogance is frightening.

Got news for you, Paul wrote a lot of stuff for heterosexuals that evangelicals have no problem ignoring.

Upright • on Mar 28, 2016 7:13 pm

A lot of Christians are disgusted by your lifestyle, lady. Pot, meet kettle…

Jim • on Mar 28, 2016 8:50 pm

And plenty of people, in turn, are disgusted by the “Christian” lifestyle choice, especially since it so often involves staggering levels of hypocrisy and cherry picking bible verses to fit existing needs and prejudices. Slavery was just fine for centuries because it’s in the bible. Religion is certainly far more of a choice than sexuality, though I’d argue that most people are brainwashed with their own particular religion when they’re so young that they really never have a conscious choice.

No true Christian hates... • on Mar 28, 2016 9:01 pm

Upright,

“Lifestyle”? What exactly does that mean? That is a word that is used to separate people. “Lifestyle”…… I’ll tell you what – gays and lesbians buy homes with their spouses, give birth to children, raise children, pay taxes, are members of the PTA, volunteer at non-profits, are doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians, police officers, firefighters, professional athletes, pastors, nurses, bank tellers, grocery store clerks, business owners, 7-11 clerks, work at Sears, are auto mechanics, etc. Thousands serve in our military sacrificing for YOUR family, YOUR freedom, and YOUR right to worship God in a free and open society. Tens of thousands have died, or been injured, in service to a country that’s turned their back on them for far too long. So, “Upright”, you might want to check your Christian elitism — Jesus is the savior to all Christians. Judge not, lest you be judged.

“Lifestyle”? There is NO gay or lesbian “Lifestyle”. Perhaps YOU need to believe in that to insure your feeling of heterosexual superiority, but trust me — there is no such thing. We all put our pants on one foot at a time… You’ll feel better if you stop obsessing over the personal lives of others.

~Peace

Anonymous • on Mar 29, 2016 6:55 am

A lot of people are disgusted by your bigotry.

Duh • on Mar 28, 2016 8:29 am

To be honest, it seems to me that Deal responded perfectly to the threats. Good job Disney, and all the other media family that stepped up on this.

Steve • on Mar 28, 2016 9:38 am

Yes, Disney should be applauded for oursourcing all the jobs instead of keeping them in California.

That’s right, Steve. Nothing is more important than your paycheck, especially those pesky human rights for others.

Anonymous • on Mar 28, 2016 8:53 am

The conservatives in georgia will vote him out of office and elect someone who will sign that bill into law. I personally wished he had signed that bill because it would probably mean more productions in california.

workingactor • on Mar 28, 2016 8:56 am

Not just the Entertainment Industry-Delta, Coca-cola, the NFL, tech companies and others are outraged. Georgia will not stand for discrimination.

Gog • on Mar 28, 2016 8:57 am

It must be the first time that Disney is a force for good. Maybe in a few decades they will have a gay character in one of their cartoons or superhero movies.

Well, it’s not like Deal has to face the voters again, thanks to term limits. But the Georgian legislature will keep fighting for this. And good for them.

Republicans wonder why people are rejecting the establishment GOP and breaking for Trump. This is a prime example why. He just got a little stronger today.

Josh • on Mar 28, 2016 2:19 pm

And comments like yours is exactly why for every one of them there will be five on the other side making sure we don’t travel back to the stone age. Find an island and set up your hateful community there. Backwards freak show!

Nope, according to all the polls, Republicans have the edge when it comes to which side is more motivated and energized. Maybe because your side has an arrogant incompetent liar and a Socialist birdbrain for candidates.

👎👎👎 • on Mar 28, 2016 11:20 pm

To ‘Upright’,

You’ve spewed enough hate here. I might suggest that you take your 1954 mentality and crawl back under a rock. You are an embarrassment to humanity.

Can you even see how you’ve turned your ‘religious’ ignorance into a political rant! Very predictable, and truly pathetic.

This is why we as a republican party have to clean house and kick out these RINO’s and elect real republicans into office, i am very happy NC signed the bill into law as well as 20 other states including Florida, Texas and Illinois. the gay mafia will do anything to destroy our western way of life they hate Christianity, Western civilization and democracy. I as a well educated black man will never stand for this i will support Donald Trump in November.

Your vernacular more closely identifies with the species Trailerous Parkus, and certainly not any black person I ever met. Myself included.

Upright • on Mar 28, 2016 7:16 pm

Nice stereotyping, hypocrite.

Upright • on Mar 28, 2016 11:46 am

Bravo!

The Carter • on Mar 28, 2016 6:50 pm

gay mafia? LMAO

whos grandpa got hold of the computer!

Hollywoodbubbleman • on Mar 28, 2016 9:37 am

These tax rebates are probably a wash – I don’t think Deal vetoed it because of Hollywood, but in spite of it. There are few things more annoying than Hollywood on a high-horse.

Anonymous • on Mar 28, 2016 9:37 am

It is with a sigh of relief and a deep appreciation for the thoughtful and measured response from Governor Deal this morning that we, the film community working in Georgia, thank him for his leadership. It is really all summed up in the words “Georgia is a welcoming state full of warm, friendly and loving people.” It should not be other than that anywhere in the great United States.

As someone who’s both gay and from Atlanta, I say thank you to Delta, Disney, NFL, Coke, and other business that stood up for the gay community. I’ll not forget this and this is why I always support these business!

John • on Mar 28, 2016 11:24 am

The state got suckered into giving Hollywood tax credits, they’ve been suckered again.

Freedom Pancake • on Mar 28, 2016 12:21 pm

Yeah, those terrible, terrible tax credits: Bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to the GA economy that would otherwise not be there. What a scheme!

a • on Mar 28, 2016 12:18 pm

So many statues, not enough statutes.

Kdellio • on Mar 28, 2016 12:34 pm

I just never understand the lengths to which “good Christians” will go to interfere with the lives of others. Why does it bother you who your neighbor loves or marries? The level of hatefulness and intolerance you want legislated is truly frightening. Doesn’t your god tell you to love everyone?

Anonymous • on Mar 28, 2016 4:43 pm

They’re superstitious. They don’t want to lose the favor from God they believe they’re entitled to. Of course they have no problem ignoring all the bible’s verses on love and the poor, not to mention heterosexual divorce. For whatever reason, they’ve decided to hinge their gospel on stopping gay people from living their lives.

Upright • on Mar 28, 2016 7:25 pm

I just never understand the lengths to which “progressives” will go to interfere with the lives of others, such as a person’s right to live their faith in every aspect of their lives, including how they conduct their business. Why can’t they abandon their principles where money is concerned, just like Hollywood does?

Jim • on Mar 28, 2016 8:59 pm

You don’t see many, if any, progressives saying how you live your religious life. But in the United States when you open a business to the public, it must be open to the ENTIRE population. A Jew can’t refuse to serve Christians, a Muslim can’t refuse to serve Hindus and you cannot refuse to serve gays. You don’t get to choose who you let in, as far as I know, unless you operate a private club. If you want to open a club that doesn’t let guys or Jews or blacks or women in, go ahead. You’ll be living in 1948, but go ahead, “take back America” to then.

Swm • on Mar 29, 2016 6:58 am

No one is trying to shut your church doors bro, so how about if you return the favor and stay out of other peoples’ private lives.

Upright • on Mar 28, 2016 12:40 pm

Gee, Disney, if you’re so concerned about human rights, why are you building a theme park in China?

Jim • on Mar 28, 2016 9:08 pm

So the fact that someone is imperfect means they lose all rights to speak out about any issue? If only that were the case…. There would be zero comments in this article – from either side.

Anony882 • on Mar 28, 2016 1:23 pm

I’m sure these Hollywood Production companies are morally superior. They can’t wait to take jobs away from California and then bring them to China where there is spotty human rights record.

Chris Barker • on Mar 28, 2016 7:38 pm

And yet again, self-righteous, demented Hollyweird tells the rest of the world what to do and gets away with it.

Jim • on Mar 28, 2016 9:06 pm

You might be amazed if you left the Fox News bubble and saw that the majority of Americans now favor equal civil rights and even marriage equality for gay people. It’s not 1954 anymore, Rip Van Winkle. Hollywood is as conservative as any business community, in the end. It doesn’t lead, it follows, and here it’s following the country as a whole into the future. Come with us if you want, there’s plenty of room. :)

Nick • on Mar 28, 2016 9:11 pm

It wasn’t just Hollywood. This is an entertainment business site, so they focus on the companies within that industry. Many many large corporations, including the NFL and Delta Airlines were ready to pull their business and headquarters from Georgia over this. Any business has the right to react however they want to the law if it doesn’t reflect their values. If it has a harmful impact on Georgia’s economy, that’s the breaks of having the law. So the economic impact is and should be a consideration for the governor (and the legislature for that matter).
But don’t pretend it’s just “Hollyweird” who found this law offensive and wrong.

Jim J. • on Mar 28, 2016 9:07 pm

I know why the anti-LGBT bill was proposed in the U.S. State of Georgia. The State of Georgia is full of people who practice Baptise denominations, and Baptists really despise LGBT people. They always have, and they always, and forever, will. It doesn’t help matters that the current Governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal, is a Baptist himself.

If a bill like that really did pass in Georgia or any other U.S. State, then I don’t think LGBT people (whether in the acting/production business or not) would have felt safe working in that state, so I imagine the LGBT people would have just stayed away from the state. Plus, I also think the LGBT bill would have seriously hurt the Atlanta area’s film industry.

Anonymous • on Mar 30, 2016 1:17 am

The religious freedom bill in GA was simply to allow religious organizations to not be compelled to do something that’s against their religion. This includes, for example, Christian churches or Muslim Mosques not being compelled to marry gay, Jewish, Muslim people. It might apply to a Kosher restaurant being forced to serve ham. Gay people are free to get married at a liberal church or many other places. You can get a ham sandwich almost anywhere.

Those being discriminated against are religious people, not homosexuals. I’m disgusted at the hatred coming from the LGBT community and companies actively engaged in this religious discrimination.

Nobody seems to have a problem with the other 30 states with religious freedom laws. And where was all the shouting and boycotting when Obama said that he believed in marriage only between a man and a woman? This is hypocrisy of the highest order.